University of Georgia Athletics
In Review: Dogs Comfortably Cruise
September 27, 2015 | Football
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By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
A game that wasn't expected to be much of a game wasn't, in fact, much of a game. The No. 7-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (4-0) mostly took care of business at Sanford Stadium on Saturday in their 48-6 rout of Southern University, an FCS program.
Other than a sleepy second quarter, during which the Jaguars outscored the Bulldogs, 6-3, Georgia largely did what it wanted to do, when it wanted to. During a scoreless fourth quarter the Bulldogs' backups got a lot of playing time, which will likely be hard to come by in the weeks ahead.
What follows is a quick review of the Dogs' performance, as well as a look at how the teams on Georgia's schedule fared this week:
Big Play
There wasn't a make-or-break play in this one, but statistically and historically the biggest play has to be running back Nick Chubb's 49-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. It put the star sophomore over 100 yards for the day -- he finished with 131 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries -- and kept his streak of 100-yard games intact. He now has 12 straight, one shy of Herschel Walker's school record of 13.
Southern actually stuff Chubb several times in the first half, when the Bulldogs tried to run him up the middle. It wasn't until the second half, when the blocking improved and the runs mostly went to the outside that Chubb did what he's done since taking over as the starter midway through last season.
Chubb will try the legendary Walker's record this week in the Bulldogs' big matchup with No. 12 Alabama.
Big Playmaker(s)
It was on the field, but not during the game. It was the reason why so many folks stayed in their seats at halftime (including the press box crowd that usually bolts for the halftime hot dogs), as well as the reason more than a few attended the game in the first place, given the anticipated blowout and the lousy weather. It's the Southern University Marching Band, AKA "The Human Jukebox," which more than lived up to the hype.
The music was great, the artistry was even better and there were surprises. The score was 20-6 at the half and the band spelled out the score during its performance, which came right at the start of halftime, before the always splendid Georgia Redcoat Marching Band. The roar the Southern band received was only matched by the one that followed Chubb's long TD run, and even that might not have been its equal.
If you missed the show, here's a link to the Associated Press' videos: http://collegefootball.ap.org/article/southerns-human-jukebox-rocks-georgia.
I also want to mention here Southern wide receiver Devon Gales, who according to media reports remains hospitalized in Athens after suffering a spinal injury Saturday. The injury occurred while the redshirt sophomore was blocking during a kickoff return in the third quarter.
According to an ESPN.com report late Saturday, Gales was "moving his hands and in good spirits." Hopefully he's moving much more than that and back in Baton Rouge, La., very soon.
What Did We Learn
We didn't learn anything new, not against an opponent that just doesn't have the manpower or ability at any position to put the Bulldogs in jeopardy. We learned that quarterback Greyson Lambert hasn't yet cooled off after his record-setting 24-for-25 performance against South Carolina, going 9-for-10 against the Jaguars. We learned that backup Brice Ramsey can be pretty accurate, too, going 11-for-14.
We also learned that freshman defensive tackle Trenton Thompson can make his presence felt. In backup duty, the 6-foot-4, 307-pounder from Albany, Ga., had five tackles, half a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. Yes, he was dominant late in a blowout of an FCS opponent, but it was still impressive.
What's Next
The Bulldogs' competition will jump up a few dozen notches when No. 12 Alabama steps between the hedges. It's one of the biggest matchups of the season in the SEC and throughout college football, with league and College Football Playoff implications for both, and both teams should be well rested after comfortable non-conference victories Saturday.
How'd They Do
9/5 ULM (1-2)
This week: The Warhawks had the unfortunate task of being the first team to face Alabama following the Tide's surprising 43-37 home loss to Ole Miss. While ULM's offense couldn't get anything going -- starting quarterback Garrett Smith completed 17 of 37 passes, for just 74 yards -- the defense kept the game close for a while. It was 7-0 Bama after a quarter and 14-0 at halftime before the Tide pulled away for a 34-0 win.
Up next: ULM opens Sun Belt Conference play this week against defending league champion Georgia Southern, another Bulldog opponent. Having already faced UGA and Bama, it might be a relief for the Warhawks to line up against someone their own size for a change.
9/12 At Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2 SEC)
This week: The Commodores' defense could walk off the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday night with their heads up. While No. 3 Ole Miss pulled away very late -- it was 13-13 midway through the third quarter -- for a 27-16 win, the Rebels' offense was contained in the red zone by Vandy for most of the game.
Up next: Vandy plays a rare in-state road game that doesn't involve a trip to Knoxville. The Commodores will visit Middle Tennessee on Saturday in search of their second win of the season.
9/19 South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC)
This week: It was ugly for a while there, like at halftime when the Gamecocks trailed a struggling Central Florida program 14-8, but South Carolina outscored the Knights 23-0 in the second half for a 31-14 win. New starting quarterback Lorenzo Nunez threw two TD passes and ran for 123 yards to lead the offense, while South Carolina's defense held UCF to 26 rushing yards on 23 carries.
Up next: The Gamecocks head west to No. 25 Missouri in search of their first conference win. The Tigers, the defending SEC East champs, will be searching for the same.
9/26 Southern (2-2)
This week: The Jaguars competed and even contained Chubb for a little while, but the Dogs were just too much. Lenard Tillery, who finished with 75 yards on 19 carries, had the Southern highlight of the day, scoring on a 16-yard run in the second quarter to make it a 17-6 game. Dangerous return man Willie Quinn couldn't find much room to run against the Dogs' kickoff coverage, which was much improved.
Up next: Southern is back on the road Saturday in a SWAC matchup against Alabama State.
10/3 Alabama (3-1, 0-1)
This week: The Crimson Tide comfortably shut out ULM 34-0 a week after a surprising loss to Ole Miss. Jake Coker was back starting at quarterback and went 17-for-31 passing for just 158 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. Defensively, the Tide completely shut down the Warhawks, who had just 10 first downs and 92 yards of offense.
Up next: It's on to Athens for Alabama, which is likely in must-win mode for the remainder of its season if it wants to get back in the SEC and playoff races. The Dogs and Tide haven't met since the thrilling SEC Championship Game in December 2012, when No. 2 Alabama held off No. 3 Georgia 32-28.
10/10 At Tennessee (2-2, 0-1)
This week: For the second time this month, the Vols saw a double-digit lead disappear. Tennessee, which lost at home to Oklahoma in overtime after leading by 17, led Florida by 13 in the fourth quarter before falling 28-27. The loss overshadowed a stunning performance from UT QB Joshua Dobbs, who finished with 83 passing yards, 136 rushing yards and 58 receiving, leading the Vols in all three categories.
Up next: Two reeling teams will meet at Neyland Stadium on Saturday when the Vols, who may be the best 2-2 team in the country, host Arkansas, which lost in overtime to No. 14 Texas A&M and is now 1-3.
10/17 Missouri (3-1, 0-1)
This week: The No. 25 Tigers, whose offense is hampered by not having a banged up Russell Hansbrough, lost for the first time this season, falling 21-13 at Kentucky. Hansbrough, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, has been limited by an ankle injury, and in turn the Mizzou attack isn't generating much. QB Maty Mauk was 15-for-30 for 180 yards and a touchdown.
Up next: Mizzou hosts South Carolina with a first SEC win of the season going to the victor.
10/31 Florida (4-0, 2-0)
This week: The Gators looked like they were in deep trouble against the Vols, but they somehow extended their win streak in the series to 11 in a row. Will Grier threw touchdown passes to Brandon Powell and Antonio Callaway in the closing minutes to rally Florida for the win. Callaway's 63-yard reception and run will surely go down as one of the plays of the year in the conference.
Up next: Florida will have to work hard to get to 5-0 as Ole Miss makes a rare visit to the Swamp on Saturday.
11/7 Kentucky (3-1, 2-1)
This week: The Wildcats are proving themselves to be an SEC East challenger. They beat South Carolina, narrowly lost to Florida and on Saturday they handed Missouri its first loss of the season, 21-13. Quarterback Patrick Towles was 22 of 27 passing 249 yards and two touchdowns.Wideout Garrett Johnson was also impressive, catching six passes (including some acrobatic grabs) for 119 yards.
Up next: Kentucky will get to perhaps breathe a little easier as it welcomes in-state program Eastern Kentucky, which is a solid FCS squad but not another SEC rival.
11/14 At Auburn (2-2, 0-2)
This week: It has been a September to forget on the Plains. The Tigers, who were a preseason top-10 squad, fell to 0-2 in the SEC with a 17-9 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium. A new quarterback in Sean White wasn't the answer for the Tigers' offense, which had 389 yards of offense but was 4-for-14 on third down and settled for two field goals in four red zone trips.
Up next: Auburn hosts San Jose State on homecoming before beginning a five game stretch of SEC games, including three on the road.
11/21 Georgia Southern (2-1)
This week: The Eagles, in their second season in the Sun Belt after a long run in the FCS Southern Conference, beat up on an old SoCon foe in The Citadel. Georgia Southern led 31-0 at halftime and cruised to a 48-13 win. In a matchup of option teams, GSU rushed for 283 yards and The Citadel had 318.
Up next: Talk about a road trip, and an in-conference one at that. Georgia Southern will be about as far from home as a team can be Saturday at Idaho, which is in Moscow, Id., just 2,621 miles from Statesboro, according to Google Maps.
11/28 At Georgia Tech (2-2)
This week: The No. 20 Yellow Jackets dropped their second straight game, falling 34-20 at Duke. Tech had lost on the road at then-No. 8 Notre Dame the week before. This time, Tech trailed 19-3 after the first quarter before twice cutting the deficit to six points. It was 26-20 Duke in the fourth quarter when Tech QB Justin Thomas fumbled with 2:12 remaining and the Blue Devils recovered to preserve the win.The Yellow Jackets were held to 173 rushing yards, their fewest since 2013.
Up next: After two tough road trips, Tech is back in Atlanta for a key ACC Coastal division game against North Carolina.
John Frierson is a staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can follow him on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
